Page 20 of Rifted Hearts
Rhys appeared pleased with Kaveh’s display of affection, even hugging Kaveh back. Then his expression changed to one of worry. “A human match is far from ideal of course, but the sooner they are found and brought into the keep, the better. Our enemies could find such a person far too tempting. Ceto’s husband was targeted by the ratkind only last summer.”
The keep was home and fortress to the drakones, but it was hard to think of it as a comfortable place for a human who might know nothing of Riftworld customs and history.
Kaveh turned the gold bracelet over in his hand. Regardless of his personal feelings, his duty was clear. He would find the person linked to him by the Matchmaker and protect them. As much as he hated violence, if any of the ratkind tried to harm his intended, they would learn why the Azdaha were the most feared clan in the Riftworld.
10
Remi started to walk toward the aviary as soon as the conversation between Rhys and Kaveh began to wrap up. His ratkind hearing had allowed him to listen in to the conversation while loitering a few meters away from the door to the office. The spot made it easy to slip into the room that held Kaveh’s winged patients and pretend he had been working with the birds instead of eavesdropping.
It had been a lucky break to come to the medical clinic with Kaveh. Rhys was condescending to Kaveh but didn’t treat him like a servant or an errand boy. Lyall was right—Kaveh had to be part drakone and unusually adept at holding a human alter form. This would change his father’s calculations about the operation. A half-human drakone who was accepted by the full clan was far more important than a human minion. The bombshell that Kaveh had been paired by the Matchmaker with an unknown partner was even more critical information.
Lucky bastard, whoever the unsuspecting spouse-to-be was. Remi couldn’t help feeling a pang of envy. Kaveh wasgorgeous, had an incredible body, and as a member of a drakone clan, was insanely rich. Not to mention that he was also smart and skilled with his hands.
Big, strong hands that had held Remi’s a few moments too long.
No, this was all a ridiculous daydream, and Remi needed to get his head in the game. Kaveh had been a challenge to seduce even before this revelation, and now he would be focused on finding his one true love. Given the drakones and their tendency to hoard anything they coveted, the unknown human would be tucked away in a safe corner of the drakones’ stronghold as soon as Kaveh figured out who they were.
Remi should contact his father and brief him on this new development. If the Colony could find the Matchmaker’s choice first, they would have leverage over Kaveh and the whole drakone clan. A hostage like that would be worth a secret as important as how to control a rift, and Remi’s mission would be a success. Remi could leave the kidnapping and dangerous parts to his violence-loving cousins and head back to Boston before things got ugly.
Before he had to face Kaveh after betraying him and putting his soulmate in danger.
He should sneak away now and try to send his father a message. Time-sensitive intelligence and all that. Instead, he chose to procrastinate, telling himself it was better to wait and see if he could learn more about the Matchmaker’s choice. He stepped into the aviary, packed with cages and filled with the raucous screeches and cries of the animals inside. A pair of the winged, feathered reptiles called phoenixes, with brilliant red-and-gold plumage, called out challenges to one another while fire rippled along their extended wings. They were about the size of macaws, andKaveh had explained to him that the juvenile Riftworld creatures were recovering here from injuries. The vet had left out a few details, probably because he didn’t want a human guest to know how dangerous they were. Mature phoenixes could erupt flames from their wings, growing larger and larger, and rain down fire and destruction from the air.
Remi’s father had talked wistfully of buying a few to wreak havoc on their enemies, but Arimanius had never found a seller willing to let them go for a good price.
In a center cage, Snow, the half-phoenix cockatoo who had bit Remi, gripped his wooden swing and swung around in circles like a gymnast on the high bar. Other than a red glow at the tip of his white feathers, he appeared to be an ordinary Earth parrot. As Remi approached, the bird paused, his black eyes sparkling with mischief. He lifted a clawed foot and extended it out, begging to be allowed to hop onto Remi’s arm.
Remi wagged his bandaged finger in Snow’s direction. “You fooled me once, my little friend, but you’re not getting me twice.”
Snow gave a puzzled squawk, as if he had no idea what Remi was talking about. He hopped closer to Remi, using his beak to move along the sides of the cage.
“Treat,” the bird said, cocking his head in a cajoling gesture.
Remi laughed. “You want a present after biting me? Totally shameless.”
He held out one of the Brazil nuts Kaveh had cautioned him were only occasional snacks. Remi had given the devilish parrot four of them already.
“Kaveh told me you’re half mon, like me. Prove it, and I’ll give you this.”
Snow pulled his head back, indignant, but then fluffed out his feathers. Their red tips glowed brighter, and a few sparks floated down to the bottom of the cage like falling firecrackers. He followed the display by gagging out a small puff of smoke.
“Pathetic.” Remi gave the bird the nut anyway, making sure Snow had no opportunity to take a chunk of his finger with it. “I guess us mixed folk need to stick together.”
“You dirty rat.” Snow did his best James Cagney impression, which was pretty awesome.
“Not a nice thing to say, Snow.”
It was Kaveh’s voice.
Remi froze, wondering how much of the conversation the vet had overheard. All of it, probably. That might not be a total disaster, as long as he didn’t realize Remi had been spying on him and call the big drakone back. That Rhys guy creeped him out, and Remi didn’t have Lyall by his side if things went south.
“Did your dragon friend leave?” Remi turned around and mounted a full charm offensive. Less lust than his usual version of mind control but often quite effective. Oh, right. If Kaveh was even part-drakone, psychic powers wouldn’t work on him at all. “I’d have loved to talk to him more.”
“You couldn’t get out of my office fast enough to get away from him.” Kaveh smiled. It wasn’t a dazzled, charmed expression. It was an “I’m not buying your bullshit” look. “I overheard your conversation with Snow. It’s hardly a surprise to me that you’re not all human.”
Remi wanted to snap back that he had overheard Kaveh’s conversation with Rhys and knew he wasn’t fully human either, but that would be suicidal. He wasn’t thinking clearly, mainly because the vet was so damn attractive it was infuriating. And even worse, the man was resistantto his best moves. He opened his mouth to come up with a better lie, but Kaveh cut him off.
“I’m from a Riftworld background myself.” Kaveh stepped nearer to him, and with Snow and his beak behind him, Remi was more or less trapped.
